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Thursday, 30 August 2012

Jack Attack I - the fabric requirements

OK it's post 1 of the Jack Attack quiltalong and this is where I set out the fabric requirements for the quilt top. I made a trial block from a Lakehouse Penelope B+W dot, the blue Paris map print from 3 Sisters Etchings and the cream labels print from Curio by Basic Grey. The piecing went well but I think my choices of fabrics could have been better here as there is not a strong enough contrast between the blue and cream fabrics. It works well in a union jack if you have two main dark prints and the white lines are a clear contrast with both of those which I don't think I quite achieved here. It's a lovely big flag though so feel free to go crazy and haul out those HUGE scale prints you've never known what to do with - they'll work great here.

And head over to the Flickr group to join and share your bloglinks, fabric choices and eventual progress. And this is what we are going to be making. A single bed sized quilt with three BIG union jacks.

Now, before you skip straight to the fabric requirements and then click right on through to your favourite fabric shop, a few points to take into account:

1. These are the MINIMUM fabric requirements. If you are using bold geometric prints for the diagonal, vertical and horizontal coloured or white strips, which need to be aligned at joins OR prints which you want to fussy cut, you will need to buy more fabric.

2. These fabric requirements are based on joining fabrics to make the diagonal, horizontal and vertical stripes. If you would prefer not to have joins in your quilt on these sections, you need to look at the separate requirements listed after the main requirements.

3. I will give fabric requirements AS IF you are using one fabric for the white sashing on each flag and the sashing in the quilt (as shown in the picture above). If you wish to use different prints for the white in each flag and the sashing, you need to look at the separate requirements listed after the main requirements.

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS:

1. For the triangles in each flag: 1/2 yd (or 2 FQs or 4 F8ths).

2. For the diagonal, horizontal and vertical stripes in each flag: 1/2yd (or 2 FQs).
NB: if you prefer not to have joins in in these sections, you will need 3/4yd per flag. And you will need more if you are also going to fussy cut these sections.

3. For the white sashing for all three flags and the quilt: 2 1/2 yds.
OR 1/2yd per flag PLUS 1 yd for the quilt sashing if you are using different fabrics for the white sections on each flag and the sashing.
NB: you will need more than this if you do not want to have joins in the white sections of the flags or if you have bold geometric prints which need careful joining or if you have fabric (eg text fabric) which you want to fussy cut.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:

One yd of freezer paper (desirable but not essential, see below).

I have made a template to help make the flags. I used freezer paper and the template is 27.5" x 10.5". You can make a template for regular paper, newspaper etc but I find freezer paper great to work with for this as you can fuse the fabric to the freezer paper to aid trimming and alignment. Ideally you will use a piece of freezer paper cut from the roll for this as you will not be able to iron on the join of two pieces of freezer paper taped together.

I already was attacked by the need to make a Union Jack. http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckyduckdreams/7799368978/in/photostream I was inspired by all the theme fabric and small blocks floating around. I free pieced it figuring it out as I went along. Cant wait to see what everyone makes.

I'm definitely in! I am only going to be making one block to use as a wall hanging in my sewing room/office. I'll post my fabric choices (pulled from the stash) in the flickr group. I need some guidance about what to choose for the stripes.